Self-loading burglarproof truck



Oct. 20, 1925- E. H. HANEY SELF LOADING BURGLARPROOF TRUCK Filed May 5. 1924 3 SheetsSheet 1.

I INVENTOR Edwin H Haney ATTORNEY Oct. I E. H. HANEY SELF LOADING BURGLARPROOF TRUCK Filed May 5, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q INVENTOR Z 1 dilli}! H. H1111 e3 8 Oct. 20, 1925. v 1,558,164

E. H. HANEY SELF LOADING BURGLARPROOF TRUCK Filed May 5, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 i I 18 O E I 33 O 1 film g INVENTOR Edarirl H. Haz ae g ATTO R N EY till Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES EDWIN HORACE H A1 TEY, OF SAN BERNARDINO, CALTFORNIA.

SELF-LOADING BURGLARPROOF TRUCK.

Application filed May 3,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. H ANEY, a citizen of the United States, reslding at San Bernardino, county of San Bernardino,

to the accompanying drawings. and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in motor trucks of the van or covered type. such as are used for hauling the mails and other matter of a valuable nature or which it is desired to be kept protected from the elements while in transportation. The present invention particularly represents an improvement over the structure shown in my United States Patent No. 1.444,- 604, dated February 6th, 1923, my main objects now being to provide a truck having an improved form of movable load-supporting floor and apron; one having a top removable at will by authorized persons but normally forming a burglar-proof protection for the goods on the truck; and one having a mechanism for driving the floor and apron, and raising and lowering the latter, which is itself driven from the engine of the truck,

and which is so connected up that the apron cannot be raised or lowered while the supporting surface is being driven, and vice versa.

A further object is to construct the truck so that the apron when raised to its full limit forms the end closure for the truck, and makes with the top or cover member, a burglar proof enclosure which is also proof against the entrance of the elements to the contents of the truck.

Another object is to mount the top so that it can only be removed when the apron is lowered, and to provide means for enabling the apron when raised/to be locked to the top when desired, thereby preventing lowering of the apron and removal of the top.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved 1924. Serial No. 710,916.

structure, mounted on an ordinary truck chassis.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the supportmg framework of the floor and apron members,-showing the driving connections.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, with the driving mechanism omitted.

Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged fragmentary cross sections on lines 4-1 and 5-5 respectively of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan 'of a gear box used in connection with the driving mechamsm.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes the main frames of an ordinary truck-chassis, mounted on which is acab 2 for the driver of the truck.

My improved structure is mounted on the frame 1 and extends from the rear end of the cab to the rear end of said frames.

Said structure comprises main longitudinal side frames 3 having suitable. transverse brace members 4. Journaled in and extending between the frames 3 adjacent the front and rear ends thereof are shafts 5 and 6 respectively, the latter also forming the and supporting a shaft 8 therebetween at their rear ends. Transverse brace members 9 extend between the frames 7 at suitable intervals. Transversely spaced driving sprockets '10 are fixed on the shaft 5, and idler sprockets 11 are mounted on the shaft in longitudinal alinement with the sprockets 10, with similarly alined idler rollers 12 on the intermediate shaft 6.

Endless roller chains 13 pass about and extend between the sprockets 10 and 11, the rollers 14 of the upper runs of said chains riding on tracks 15 and 16 4 extending lengthwise of the main and apron frames respectively between the sprockets, and supported by the respective transverse members 4 and 9 thereof.

Fixed on the individual links of the chains and extending the full width between the side frames are slats or cross bars 17 forming continuous flooring or load supporting surface for the full area of the main and apron frames.

To prevent possible sag of the slats under load at their ends, which are beyond the chains and hence unsupported, I mount lines of idler rollers 18 onthe inner faces of the frames 3 and 7 under the upper'run of the slats. To prevent sag of the lower run of the flooring and chains as a unit, I provide side flange or track strips 19 and 20 mounted on the frames 3 and 7 respectively, these strips projecting inwardly of the frames and forming a'continuous support forthe ends of the slats. To prevent the exposed slats from being damaged by any means when the apron is raised, I cover the space between the members 20 with a continuous sheet of iron 21, which of course covers the adjacent slats without interfering with their movement.

Fixedon and projecting up from the frames 3 are sides 22 ofa certain height, on top of which are grooved tracks 23 for the slides 24 on the lower end of a top member 25 of suitable structural iron construction.

This \top can only be slid from the sides by a rearward movement, and is provided with side handles 26to facilitate its manipulation. Such removal however can only be accomplished when the apron is lowered to a point below the level of the tracks 23, since when the apron is raised to a closed position as shown in Fig. 1, itextends across the ends of both the side and top members. These members then partly overlapthe frame 7 somewhat, as shown in Fig. 5, so that a substantially weather and burglar proof connection is made therebetween. To further prevent the entrance of .rain or dust between the apron and the interior of the top member, the rear end of the latter has a hood 27 overhanging the upper end of'the apron when the latter is closed, as shown in Fig. 1.

To discourage anyone from attempting to jump onto the top of the truck from above,'with ulterior motives,'I providea plurality of sharp spikes 28 projecting up from the top at suitable intervals.

To hold the apron in its raised or closed positions, a latch 29 is mounted 'on each side of the top and arranged to automatically engage a lug'30 on the apron. When it is des1red to lower the apron, the-latch may be released by pulling a cord 31 connected thereto and extending to a point adjacent the cab 2 over suitably disposed pulleys 32.

To enable the apron to be positively locked to the top in its closed position I provide orificed lugs 33 on the top and apron, a?- ranged to aline or register when the apron is closed, and adapted to receive the yoke of a padlock of suitable character. The driving and control mechanism for the flooring and apron is arranged as follows:

Ahead of the shaft 5 and parallel thereto is a shaft 34 journaled in a gear box 35. The be shaft 34 is geared to a shaft 36 in said box at right angles to the shaft 34. A sliding gear 37 is mounted on the shaft 36, which gear is arranged to be moved into or out of driving relation with additional gearing 38 mounted in connection with a jackshaft 39 parallel to the shaft 36, in such a manner that the shaft 37 may be held idle, or caused to turn in opposite directions. with a continuous rotation of the shaft 39 in a single direction.

The desired movements of the gear 37 are controlled by a shift lever 40 connected thereto in a suitable manner.

The-shaft 39 is connected to a gear 41 mounted in an auxiliary gear box 42 attached to the usual transmission casing 43 with which the standard chassis of the truck is equipped. said gear being in transverse alinement with one of the usual gears 44 in said transmission casing. A shiftable gear 45 is adapted to be inmeshed with the gears 44 and 41, todrive the latter from the former, a lever 46 being provided to suitably shift the gear 45. This structure provides the initial drive and control from the truck engine to the shaft 34, and unless the gears 41, 45 and 44 are in mesh, the shaft 34 will not be driven, irrespective of the setting of the sliding gear 37. Y

Turnably mounted on one end of the shaft 34, outside the gear box, is a sprocket wheel 47, connected in driving relation with a similar'sprocket 48 on the shaft 5 by a chain 49. Likewise looselv. mounted on the shaft 34 in spaced relation to the sprocket wheel 47 is another sprocket wheel 50 connected by a chain 51 with a similar wheel 52 on a countershaft 53 j ournaled below the frame 3. On the ends of this countershaft are drums 54 on which are wound cables 55 which extend thence over pulleys 56 mounted on the upper ends of uprights 57 to the opposite sides of the apron adjacent the free end thereof. The uprights are rigidly mounted on the frames 3 adjacentthe rear ends thereof, but are not connected in any way with the top 25, so that movement of the latter is not interfered with.

Brake means 58, controlled by a hand lever 59, are arranged in connection with the drum shaft 53, so as to control the speed of unwinding of the cables.

Couplings 60 are mounted with the sprockets 47 and .50, these couplings being adapted to engage with cooperating couplings 61 splined on the shaft 34. These slidable couplings are connected together by linkage 62 so as to be controlled in common from a lever 63, the linkage belng so arranged that when either coupling 61 1s engaged with its cooperating coupling 60, the other pair of couplings will disengaged. This arrangement auto matically prevents the apron from being raised or lowered while the flooring is travel- This comprises a vertical stop plate 64 or the like positioned inside the truck adjacent the front end of the flooring. This plate is fixed on a shaft 65 journaled in the Eiclings 22 a suitable distance above the oor.

On the shaft outside the sidings is an upwardly extendin arm 66 connected by a flexible member 6? tothe gear shift/lever 40. In the present arrangement, the lever 40 when in its forward position causes the flooring to travel ahead, and when the lever is so moved, the member 67 is tautand the plate 64 has a downward slant to the rear. Upon a box or the like travelling forward along and with the floor abutting against the plate 64, the latter will be caused to assume a vertical position, pulling the arm 66 and member 67 rearwardly, and the latter pulling on the lever 40 will cause the latter to move to its neutral position.

To enable the driver to see the contents of the truck from his seat in the cab 2, the top 25 is provided with a window 68 at its front end.

The various control levers may of course be placed in different locations from that shown. The arrangement illustrated however not only shows all the control members in compact and easily -understood form, but places them where they are all handy to an operator standing on the ground or running board of the truck, from which position he can watch proceedings and control'operations far better than if he were seated in the cab.

If desired, the truck may be used without the top 25, since its removal does not interfere with the operation of the truck, and the absence of the apron-holding latch, which is removable with the top, is offset by use of thr drum brakes 58.

With the top on and locks employed wherever practicable, it will be seen that I have provided a truck proof against the entrance of those desiring to steal the contents of the truck, unless of course explosives should be resorted to.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects on the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form adeparture from the spirit of the invention, as definedby the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A self-loading truck structure including an endless horizontal member forming a load supporting surface, an apron pivoted adjacent the rear end thereof, means for raising and lowering, the apron means for driving the supporting surface, and means whereby the surface cannotbe driven while the apron is being moved, and vice versa.

2. A self-loading truck structure including an endless horizontal member forming a load supporting surface, an apron pivoted adjacent the rear end thereof, a driven shaft connecting means between said shaft, and

the surface for driving the latter from the former, connecting means between said shaft and the apron for raising and lowering the latter with the rotation .of the shaft, and means whereby only one of said connecting means at a time can be connected in driving relation with the shaft.

3. A-self-loading truck structure including an endless horizontal member forming a load supporting surface, an apron pivoted adjacent the rear end thereof, a driven shaft,

connecting means between said shaft and the surface for driving the latter from the former, connecting means between said shaft and the apron for raising and lowering the latter with the rotation of the shaft, cooperating and disconnectable couplings between the shaft and both said means, and control means for said couplings arranged to permit only one at a time of the same being engaged in driving relation with the corresponding connecting means.

4. A truck structure including a load supporting surface, a removable top over the same, a loading apron pivoted in connection withsaid surface and adapted to be raised to form a closure with the top, and means whereby when the apron is in its raised position the top cannot be removed.

5. A truck structure including a load supporting surface, longitudinal track means mounted at the sides of said surface and thereabove, a top for the surface having slides engaging the track means and movable rearwardly and only'in a horizontal plane, and an apron pivoted at-the rear end ofthe surface and adapted to be raised to extend above the plane of the track means.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDWIN HORACE HAN EY. 

